Some of the Wollongong Harmony Chorus members at the mass singing events in Hobart. Photo: Supplied.
Wollongong Harmony Chorus hit all the right notes at the national Sweet Adelines Australia Convention in Hobart this month, singing its way to fifth place and striking a chord with judges and audiences alike by performing without a conductor.
Its bold performance earned it high praise, “wows” from the audience, and a Novice Director Award for dynamic new co-directors Alison Charlton and Samantha White.
Competing against top women’s barbershop choruses from across the nation, the Wollongong group scored a total of 574 points, improving on its previous performance by 30 points and achieving its highest score in 15 years.
Under the guidance of Alison and Samantha, the group set a goal for this year’s performance: to elevate its energy and stage presence and bring an engaging performance.
To achieve that, the group performed A Dream Is A Wish from Cinderella and Bye Bye Blackbird, representing its diverse musical repertoire.
And it seems the pieces achieved that, with the panel of four international judges praising the 34-member chorus for its energy and describing the performance as “confident”, “expressive” and “free and easy”.
Samantha said the chorus surprised the audience and judges by performing without a conductor out front – a rare and bold move that was extremely challenging for an a cappella group to pull off, requiring deep musical trust and cohesion among the singers.
She said the result was an emphatic “wow” throughout the auditorium as the group took the stage and did its thing.
“It takes confidence, unity, and a finely tuned sense of musical awareness to perform that way,” she said.
“We took a risk, but the feedback we received tells us it paid off.”
In recognition of their outstanding leadership, Alison and Samantha were honoured with the national Novice Director Award, a prestigious accolade presented to first-time directors who demonstrate exceptional musical direction, creativity and impact.
“We are thrilled with the result,” Alison said.
“To see such a significant jump in our scores, and to have our energy and risk-taking recognised, is incredibly rewarding.”
The chorus expressed deep gratitude to its coaches, Rob Sequeira, Vicki Dwyer, Lea Baker and Glenda Lloyd for their expert guidance, encouragement and inspiration in helping them achieve the final result.
This year’s Sweet Adelines Australia Convention overall winner was Perth Harmony Chorus.
Wollongong Harmony Chorus, whose members range in age from 19 to 99, is part of Sweet Adelines International, a worldwide organisation of women committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performance.
It regularly performs at community events throughout Wollongong, including hospitals and senior citizens’ clubs, and was particularly busy during the Christmas period.
Wollongong Harmony Chorus welcomes new members, with rehearsals at the Dapto Ribbonwood Centre every Thursday evening from 7:30 pm.
